


like those foreign stars - discontinued

by cherxnica



Category: Riverdale (TV 2017)
Genre: F/F, cheroni, choni
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-04-08
Updated: 2018-09-23
Packaged: 2019-04-20 04:01:59
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 3,870
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14252613
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/cherxnica/pseuds/cherxnica
Summary: online, their best friends. they know each other's darkest secrets, fears, ambitions.at school, they're on opposites sides of riverdale's civil war, and they don't even know it.





	1. nescient

**22:17**

**message from:**

**black-wlw: u awake??**

The ping of Cheryl Blossom’s mobile phone stirs her awake as she lay peacefully in her red satin sheets. Her matching red hair splayed out on her pillow, she rolls to her side and reaches for it, barely reaching the edge of her nightstand.

**writhingincherryblossoms: i am now, what’s up?**

A smile creeps up her face as she types out the response.  She’d been corresponding with a girl over Tumblr, a blog filled with bisexual flags and beautiful black women, for over three months now. They’d gotten to know each other, save names and anything that could give away anything that led them to each other’s’ identities.

**black-wlw: if u could go anywhere at this precise moment, where would u go??**

**writhingincherryblossoms:  venice would be nice in the summer**

**black-wlw: venice would look good on u**

**black-wlw: then again, anything would ;)**

**writhingincherryblossoms: please, you have no idea what i look like**

**black-wlw: i can only imagine**

Cheryl suppresses her urge to giggle at the other girl’s comments, a girl whom she’d love to know the name of, or see the face of. Over the course of the three months, Cheryl had compiled a list of things she knew about the girl in her journal;

  1. She was from Riverdale, this is certain.
  2. She’s also 17, a junior, possibly at Riverdale High?



The short list infuriated Cheryl, she was more than eager to learn who this girl was.

**writhingincherryblossoms: i want to know how you are**

**black-wlw: no u don’t**

  **black-wlw: trust me, its better this way**

**writhingincherryblossoms: okay**

Deciding not to argue, Cheryl switches her phone off for the night and closes her eyes before drifting off into a deep slumber.

The next morning, Cheryl stirs awake to sunshine pouring through her window over her bed and into her eyes. Rubbing them, she gets up and hops in the shower.

The thought of running into the mystery girl at school today without possibly knowing it is buzzing in her head. Is she in any of her classes?

It only feels like moments until Cheryl’s strutting down the hallway of Riverdale High, looking at every face, hearing every voice.

“Cheryl, you okay there, girl?” asks Josie McCoy, Cheryl’s best (and, not that she’d admit this aloud, seeing as the entire school either adores her or fears her, her only) friend.

“Fine,” she smiles. Josie knows it’s a blatant lie but decides not to ask questions.

The hallways are busy, like usual, ridden with Bulldogs, River Vixens and everyone else who doesn’t matter, but soon the two girls find themselves in the student lounge amongst Betty Cooper, Jughead Jones, Sweet Pea and the _lovely_ Toni Topaz. Cheryl rolls her eyes.

“Blossom,” the pink haired girl smirks, aware of the fiery redhead’s utter hatred towards her.

“Heaven’s above, is there anything you won’t do to get a rouse out of me, you South Side snake?” Cheryl stands her ground, playing the defensive.

Toni crosses her arms, “no, but lately it seems I don’t have to prod too much,” she laughs before standing up to leave.

“Somebody needs to get laid,” slips from Toni’s mouth before she can swallow it, and she instantly regrets it. But she puts up a front, because the look on the Red Queen’s face is priceless.

And with that, the flannel-clad Serpent leaves the room, but not without a subtle wink shot at the taller redhead.

The lounge is silent, as it usually is after a Blossom vs. Topaz showdown, but is soon disrupted by the bell, signalling home room.

“You should really just ignore her, she just wants attention,” Josie tries to calm Cheryl, but when is Cheryl Blossom ever in a state of peace?

They turn around and cross the hall to their home room which is, conveniently, across from the student lounge, which used to be, before the migration of the South Side Savages to the pleasant (now…unpleasant) Riverdale High, a place for students to relax, but is now a battle ground for the football team and the Serpents.

By the end of the day, Cheryl is exhausted. She threw herself into her Biology homework when she got home, distracting herself from obsessing over the fact that her Tumblr friend had not sent her message all day, and her God-awful mother.

When she’s done, she finally exhales and lays on her bed, scrolling through her Tumblr dashboard. Spying nothing interesting, she gives up and shoots her friend a message.

**writhingincherryblossoms: please tell me your day was better than mine**

Thankfully, she receives a response not two seconds later.

**black-wlw: i think it was, theres this girl at school who is so bothered by my presence it makes me laugh**

**writhingincherryblossoms: ugh i have one of those**

**black-wlw: someone who bothers u just by being around?**

**writhingincherryblossoms: yes, she does my head in. she’s a complete snake and everyone adores her, i don’t see why**

**black-wlw: she sounds awful**

**writhingincherryblossoms: she really is**

**black-wlw: i know something that will cheer u up**

**black-wlw: (attachment: 7 images)**

Cheryl clicks on the images, all a black cat with huge green eyes.

**writhingincherryblossoms: he’s adorbs! is he yours?**

**black-wlw: technically, i found him. my uncle wouldn’t let me keep him, but he comes around every so often to say hello**

**black-wlw: i don’t think he belongs to anyone**

**writhingincherryblossoms: maybe i can meet him someday**

**black-wlw: maybe**

**writhingincherryblossoms: what’s his name?**

**black-wlw: boo radley**

**writhingincherryblossoms: you named your cat after boo radley from to kill a mockingbird?**

**black-wlw: i thought it suited him, so yeah**

**writhingincherryblossoms: i see**

The two girls message each other for hours, unaware of the sun slowly crawling up into the sky.

Unaware that they will see each other in a few hours, in the student lounge, and repeat the same argument they have every morning in front of the majority of the South Side Serpents, and the football team.


	2. perception

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> just assume that both cheryl and toni are clueless dumbasses  
> this chapter is longer that the first, hope you like it!

Toni Topaz has never been a jealous person, but when girls like Cheryl Blossom get everything they want handed to them on a silver platter, it sparks something inside her. All she’s ever wanted was a happy family with parents who cherished her. and a solid support system.  Maybe even a bed to sleep in every night, instead of being cast out by her uncle if she gets home after 11pm. Was that too much to ask?

Cheryl Blossom was the poster girl of the North Siders, and while the red head had had her fair share of traumatic experiences when her twin brother Jason was murdered by her own father, everything to her was nothing.

“So, what’s her deal? She walks around like she’s the Queen,” Toni whispers to Veronica Lodge in their fourth period Algebra II class.

“Who, Cheryl?” Veronica nods in the direction of the cheer squad captain sitting two rows in front of them, gossiping with Josie McCoy, “why do you want to know, you already thinking about tossing me aside?” she asks, intertwining their legs under the table.

“No, Ronnie, I’m just curious is all,” she says flirtatiously.

Toni and Veronica have been friends with each other since before the merging of the two opposite sides of Riverdale. The pink haired Serpent had found her behind the Whyte Wyrm at FP’s disastrous retirement party, sobbing after her breakup with Archie Andrews.

The two girls had kindled a questionable friendship, that sometimes crossed the line of friends to something more like lovers. No one had brought that up in conversation.

“Well, when I arrived at Riverdale, I was told to be wary. I got to know her eventually after some complications. She’s really sweet.” Veronica sounded genuine, though Toni still wasn’t convinced.

“After her accident at Sweet Water River, I took her back to the Pembrooke, and she kissed me,” Veronica eyes almost began to spill tears, “and I didn’t…I didn’t say anything. So, she…she left. And she cut me out of her life. Josie is the only one she really talks to now.”

Not knowing how to comfort her, Toni wraps her hand around her best friend’s wrist, “Veronica, I’m so sorry.”

“No, don’t feel sorry. I should’ve done more to make sure she was okay.”

“What accident, what did she do?”

Veronica looks up at her, “she tried to drown herself, to be with her brother,” she chokes on her words, and the tears start rolling.

The raven-haired girl abruptly stands, gathers her things and leaves the room in a rush, causing Cheryl and Josie to turn around and stare. Toni follows her friend, finding her in the girl’s bathroom.

Neither of the girls says a word, but they sit in the corner of the small room, holding each other.

It’s then Toni realises while she holds Veronica in her arms of a high school lavatory, that Cheryl Blossom is not the girl Toni thought she was. That no one is how she thinks they are. Maybe no one is truly who they pretend to be.

The two girls stay in their current position until the bell rings, when they make a move to get to English.

“Thank you, Toni, for comforting me. What would I do without you?” Veronica chuckles, and looks her best friend in the eye before kissing her on the cheek and leaving the room.

Toni smiles to herself, but questions Veronica’s intentions as she slowly crosses the line, and if she should start introducing Veronica as her girlfriend, but she giggles that thought away. Veronica knows that Toni isn’t good at relationships, and she isn’t keen to start now…right? What the two girls have is a pure friendship, and Toni doesn’t want to ruin it.

Exiting the bathroom, she runs into Betty Cooper, who smirks at her before continuing her path to her next class.

“What was that about, Cooper?” Toni yells after her, but she receives no response as the blonde-haired girl is already gone.

 For the rest of the day, Toni holds Veronica’s hand as they walk to and from their classes together.

“What are you doing after school?” Toni asks her. She asks this question every day, and always gets the same answer.

“Cheer practice, then going home. I have a ton of Pre-Calc home-" Veronica almost finishes her sentence before she’s rudely interrupted by Ginger Lopez, one of Cheryl Blossom’s ‘handmaidens’, though everyone knows both herself and Tina Patel are just trying to get on the redhead’s good side, Cheryl despises them.

“Veronica, Toni, how was Algebra, you know, after you left and went to the bathroom…together?” she says with a wink, before walking off.

The two girls are left standing in the middle of the hallway, looking at each other curiously.

Deciding to ignore her, they both leave to go to their last class, French.

As soon as they enter the room, Toni rolls her eyes as she spots Cheryl Blossom sitting in the middle of the room. The sun shining through the window makes her red hair resemble that of a wildfire, so she’s hard to miss.

“Glad you two could make it to this class, seeing as during Algebra you had other things in mind.” Cheryl says, smiling because she knows she has the attention of the whole room.

The scattered whispers and the shooting daggers from their peers explains everything, Cheryl has everyone convinced that they got it on in the bathroom. And despite an official relationship, their shows of affection make Cheryl’s theory easily believable.

With a roll of her eyes, Toni grabs her best friend’s hand and takes her to sit at the very back. After a few catcalls, she eventually flips Cheryl off, initiating an uproar of laughter from the class.

Two hours later, Toni is kicking her motorcycle to life, and speeding her way out of the Riverdale High parking lot, away from the preying eyes of everyone in her grade. She spots Cheryl Blossom’s red convertible, a for a moment thinks about running into it, but the cost of repairs for her bike make her rethink.

Toni enjoys riding on her bike, the feeling of being able to go anywhere and not stop, save for gas and toilet breaks, of course. In these moments, Toni tends to think about her mother, and how much she misses her. She thinks about her long brunette hair, and her big brown eyes that Toni inherited, and how safe she made 10-year-old Toni feel.

Her mother had died in a car accident, when she was 12. And with a father who didn’t want her, joining the Serpents was the only shot at family she’d ever get.

“Uncle Max, I’m home,” Toni yells into her uncle’s trailer, not expecting a reply seeing as he’s always glued to the television, beer in hand.

Maximilian Topaz was one out of three living relatives she had left. Brother to her mum, her uncle was the first in line to care for her. He was nice once upon a time, but didn’t appreciate Toni’s affiliation with the gang life. Her grandfather lived across the trailer park, but never visited. He never got along with Max as a child, let alone an adult. And of course, her father. Who she refused to acknowledge or speak about, after he left when she was 3 months old, not that she knew much about him.

After hanging her jacket on the coat rack, she finally settles on her bed and pulls out her phone.

**black-wlw: hey**

**writhingincherryblossoms: a hey with only one y? what’s wrong**

**black-wlw: just tired**

**writhingincherryblossoms: i feel the same, cheer practice has been longer than usual**

**black-wlw: so, you’re a cheerleader? in the river vixens, perhaps?**

**writhingincherryblossoms: you caught me, i go to riverdale**

**writhingincherryblossoms: but you said no identifiers**

**black-wlw: you gave that one away too easy**

**black-wlw: so, i know you**

**writhingincherryblossoms: you probably hate me**

**black-wlw: well, you’re far too nice to be someone i hate, so i doubt that**

**writhingincherryblossoms: are you ruling out possible options as we speak**

**black-wlw: i know for sure you aren’t veronica lodge, she would know who i am by now**

**writhingincherryblossoms: so, you know veronica**

**black-wlw: no**

**writhingincherryblossoms: i can’t stand her**

**black-wlw: why**

**writhingincherryblossoms: long story, i might tell you one day**

**black-wlw: is it to with her dad because really, she had nothing to with it**

**writhingincherryblossoms: god no, i have my own reasons**

**black-wlw: seems like you’re the only one**

**black-wlw: if you did know who i was, is there anyone you’d be disappointed in me being**

**writhingincherryblossoms: sure, i mean i don’t adore everyone**

**black-wlw: understandable**

**writhingincherryblossoms: i should get going, but i’ll see you tomorrow**

**black-wlw: ha, bye**

Toni decides that she wishes this girl was Veronica. It would make falling in love with her so much easier. The looks she gives Toni make her heart want to burst, surely ending Toni’s inevitable death. Which, after tomorrow, might be how she goes out.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> BEFORE YOU SAY ANYTHING, choni is going to be endgame don't fret  
> also i just had to put a dash of cheronica because i love them  
> as always, please leave kudos and a comment if you liked it!  
> hmu on tumblr: @cherxnica is my main  
> @riverdalechronicles is my fic blog


	3. effusion

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hello my dudes and everyone who doesn't like to be called dudes!  
> considering i am on break and with the return of riverdale in 2 and a half weeks i have decided to come back to writing, and this fic in particular so yay!  
> i know y'all have been itching for an update and i'm sorry it took this long but here it is!

**16:30**

**message from:**

**black-wlw: are u going to the football game**

**writhingincherryblossoms: i’m cheering at it, so yes**

**black-wlw: of course, my little vixen**

**writhingincherryblossoms: are you going?**

**black-wlw: wouldn’t miss it**

**black-wlw: ill be in the stands cheering for u**

**writhingincherryblossoms: we’re all supposed to be cheering for the bulldogs, that’s kind of the point**

**black-wlw: well duh yeah, but i’m gonna be there for u too, whoever u may b**

Cheryl is anxious for the upcoming game this Friday evening, as she always is. And now that her Tumblr friend would be there watching her every move, the pressure to be flawless doubled.

The cheer captain stood in the gymnasium watching as the Vixens ran through the routine for the fourth time that Wednesday afternoon. Every girl seemed to know her part well enough, but it wasn’t as perfect as it could be. The music dies out and Cheryl claps her hands together. The girls were out of breath, all of them trying their hardest to impress their HBIC captain.

“Veronica, pick up the pace you’re out of time. Betty, stop being lazy and do the moves _exactly_ as we practiced. Josie, perfect as always,” Cheryl blows a kiss to the former Pussycat, who returns the sign of affection while everyone else rolls their eyes.

“And to everyone else, Nana Blossom could out-cheer you at this point, you bumbling buffoons.” She snaps.

“Cheryl, you know damn well that was the best run through we’ve had all week and that I was _perfectly_ in time.” Veronica pipes up, fuming from all the ‘constructive’ criticism Cheryl had been handing out all practice. The Latina stood with one hand on her hip, and the other wiping the sweat from her forehead. Betty Cooper stood next to her, running her hand up and down Veronica’s upper arm. The blonde’s crush on her was obvious, and pitiful in Cheryl’s perspective, to everyone in the room.

“Excuse me, Veronica, but which of us is the captain here? What I say goes and I say you’re not good enough,” Cheryl barks back.

“How dare you, after weeks of gruelling unnecessary practices, say that we aren’t good enough. We’ve been working our asses off to get this right and I am God damn right when I say we have! Maybe if you started thinking of us as a fucking team instead of your band of slaves that are here to make you look good, we’d all get along for once!” Veronica screams at the tall redhead, who is now towering above her as they argue. Betty takes a step back, correctly assuming if she said a word she’d be right in the middle of Cheryl’s warpath.

“Get out!” Cheryl yells at Veronica as she points at the door, glaring down at the other girl, “you’re off the squad, get out!”

Every jaw in the room drops, and Veronica just huffs and leaves quietly. Betty looks at Cheryl for a mild second, and runs after her best friend.

“If you walk out that door Cooper, you’re off too!” Betty doesn’t turn around.

“Pathetic,” Cheryl mutters at she turns her back on the remaining River Vixens, letting a quiet tear roll down her cheek before she instinctively wipes it away.

Josie’s hand is on the small of Cheryl’s back in a minute, comforting her in any way she can.

“You did what you had to, Cher,” she murmurs softly. The redhead turns and buries her face into Josie’s shoulder. The other cheerleaders take this as a sign to leave.

“Come on my little Cherub, let’s get you home.” Josie takes Cheryl’s hand as they gather their belongings. Josie had called Cheryl her Cherub since the eighth grade, when they first met because even though to everyone Cheryl was vaguely threatening, she was like an angel to Josie.

Over the years, Josie had constantly proved her loyalty to Cheryl by always comforting her when she needed it, especially after Jason died and just genuinely being concerned for her friend’s wellbeing, which more than Penelope Blossom could say.

Josie took the keys to Cheryl’s red convertible out of her purse, deciding that she would be driving her home. It was the least she could do, seeing as Cheryl had driven her to school every day after Sierra had taken Josie’s own car away after another fight.

Cheryl sat in the passenger seat, eyeing a member of the group that stood together just outside of Riverdale High’s doors. Her magenta coloured highlights were the brightest thig among the group, in between the leather jackets and motor cycle helmets they were clutching. Cheryl looked at her, and okay, she _was kind of_ pretty in a simple hobo kind of way.

In that moment, Toni had turned and looked over her shoulder, directly at Cheryl and the two locked eyes. Next to Toni, another Serpent looked around, Sweet Pea his name was, and saw Cheryl staring. He uttered something to Toni who immediately reacted and punched him in the arm as high as she could reach. Which, to be honest, wasn’t very high. The group all laughed at the two, forgetting that Cheryl was still eyeing them.

Veronica Lodge happened to walk out the doors they were standing at then, now clad in a black baby doll dress- whereas yesterday she would’ve still been in her Vixens uniform- and she linked arms with Toni and kissed her on the cheek.

Cheryl vomited in her mouth. They deserved each other. As much as she was disgusted by the two, she gazed on to see Veronica getting on the back of Toni’s motorcycle (which, really, was too big for them both).

“Ugh, I can’t believe those two are together,” Josie snickers as she prods the key into the ignition and starts the car.

“I’m not too sure they know they’re together,” Cheryl quips before turning in her seat to face Josie so she doesn’t have to look at the pair anymore.

The drive to Cheryl’s house is quiet, the radio providing background noise as it plays out the last notes of a Taylor Swift song with Josie humming along to the tune of _You Belong With Me._

They finally reach the luxurious Thornhill’s gates, where Cheryl punches in the pin that opens them. They drive slowly up the gravel driveway where Josie cuts the engine and they sit for a while.

“Did you wan- “Josie begins to ask, before she’s abruptly cut off by Cheryl.

“Can you stay over?” She asks seriously before bursting into a fit of giggles when she stumbles over Josie’s question.

Josie pulls out her phone, still chuckling, and calls Sierra, her mother, telling her that she plans on staying at Cheryl’s that night. Considering half of her wardrobe was there, she didn’t see an issue, so the girls climbed out of the car and walked up to Cheryl’s grandeur bedroom where they both flopped onto the four-poster bed.

“Ugh, Veronica Lodge is insufferable!” Cheryl cried out, “and that Toni is even worse, the little snake!”

Josie laughs in agreeance. The two spend the evening gossiping and giving each other manicures, as they do every time they sleep at each other’s houses. Penelope regularly came upstairs to acknowledge the copious amount of noise they were making but neither girl cared, and so they carried on.

By the time the two girls were tucked into bed, Josie fast asleep and Cheryl still up. The light from her phone light up her face, no matter that the brightness setting was at its lowest. Her Tumblr app was open, as her fingers began furiously typing.

**writhingincherryblossoms: two vixens left today and now they must be replaced by tomorrow and they need to learn the routines and i’m on the verge of a breakdown i tell you!**

Cheryl waited a few minutes for a reply, but it never came.

**writhingincherryblossoms: hello?**

**writhingincherryblossoms: i’m having a crisis where are you!**

No matter how long she waited for a response, she would never receive it. As Cheryl stared at her screen from her bed, her missing Tumblr friend was having a sleepover of her own on the other side of town, and they were both very much awake.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> what is miss topaz up to ;)  
> you'll find out next update my friends!  
> as always, a kudos and a comment is appreciated!  
> @cherxnica is still my main blog, even though it has undergone a bit of a renovation the last few days!

**Author's Note:**

> thank you for reading! please leave a kudos and a comment if you enjoyed it!  
> @cherxnica on tumblr  
> 


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